Atlas

FUCK. YOUR! SHIIIIIT!!!

"OOOOOOHHHH MY GOD! JUGGERNAUT!"

– Deadpool

The Atlas is an Assault Battlemech well-known for it's terrifying visage, vast multitude of heavy weaponry, and overall badassery. It weighs in at 100 tons and has the same amount of fire power as an entire lance of light mechs.

Da Atlas Itself

Designed from the specifications of Aleksandr Kerensky himself, the Atlas assault mech was intended to ensure the superiority of the Star League Defense Force over the Star League's member states. And that it did. With very heavy armor, crippling firepower, and a "Death's Head" shaped cockpit, the Atlas did much more than just "ensure superiority." It outlived the Star League itself. Most Atlas Mechs are in the hands of the great houses because when Kerensky issued the call to Operation Exodus, 2/3rds of the mech warriors that refused his summons were Atlas drivers. The design would weather the Succession Wars well and would go on to be the primary scout mech of the Lyran Commonwealth.

In general, the Atlas distinguishes itself by being extremely tough to kill: its armor alone weighs nearly as much as an entire Locust. At the same time, most variants possess enough firepower to obliterate smaller mechs in one or two salvoes. If the Atlas has a weakness, it is that as an assault mech it is rather slow. However, the Atlas's superb armor protection tends to carry it through situations where it has been outmaneuvered, thus allowing its excellent firepower to steadily blast opposing mechs into smoking fragments. Of course, if anyone is actually foolish enough to engage an Atlas in melee, then a few concussion-inducing melee attacks will ensure that the offending mech really, really regrets it.

When people think of Battletech, this tends to be one of the first mechs that comes to mind. It is a manly mech. The manly mech.

Armament

The Atlas is armed with a wide array of weapons for both long and short range combat, all designed specifically to be as visible as possible so that you can know far in advance that you're fucking dead. Although it is primarily a medium and short-range brawler, long-range configurations are also pretty common due to its versatile loadout. Below are the main and most common variants with their stats:

• AS7-D: The OG 3025 version. First built in 2755, the vanilla Atlas features an AC/20 in the right torso with two tons of ammo, and an LRM-20 in the left torso with two tons of ammo. These are backed up by two arm-mounted medium lasers, two rear-facing medium lasers, and an SRM-6 with one ton of ammo in the right torso. 20 heat sinks allow it to maintain a high rate of fire. BV (2.0): 1897.
• AS7-A: An optimized short(er)-ranged variant that replaces the standard weaponry with an LRM-10 and Autocannon/5 in the left torso. At short range, the pilot can use the arm mounted Medium Lasers and capitalize on damaged armor by using the five SRM-6 launchers in the right torso. The autocannon and LRM each have a ton of ammunition while the SRMs receive four tons of ammunition, all carried in the left torso. The armor, ground speed, and heat sinks are otherwise untouched from the base model. Capable of ludicrous damage but has problems getting into range to inflict it, and a severe vulnerability to ammo explosions. BV (2.0) = 1,787.
• AS7-C: A Combine modification of the K model introduced in 3050, the C model carried a C3 Slave unit into combat. This was achieved by removing one of the Medium Pulse Lasers from the K model. The extra free ton was used to add another heat sink to the design. BV (1.0) = 1,650 (C3: 298), (1,665), BV (2.0) = 2,163
• AS7-CM: Another modification of the K model of the Atlas introduced in 3050, the CM Atlas was designed to carry a C3 Master Computer into battle. In order to do this one of the ER Large Lasers was removed and in its place a C3 Master computer was installed, allowing it to coordinate a C3 lance. BV (1.0) = 1,725, (1,749), BV (2.0) = 2,036
• AS7-D (C): A Clan-tech retrofit of the AS7-D Atlas, the Atlas C replaced the older autocannon and missile launchers with a Clan standard Ultra AC/20, Swarm LRM compatible LRM-20, and Streak SRM-6 launchers; but the Inner Sphere Medium Lasers remained unchanged. Lighter Clan components allowed the Atlas C to carry 3 tons of autocannon ammunition. BV (2.0) = 2,306
• AS7-Dr: A post-Jihad field refit introduced in 3070 to upgrade old Lyran militia Atlases for use by front-line LCAF units. The AS7-Dr replaced the mammoth AC/20 with a Heavy PPC, using the weight and space saved to upgrade the SRM launcher and add a Guardian ECM Suite, C3 Slave and two extra standard heat sinks. BV (2.0) = 2,101
• AS7-D-DC: Built in 2776, this Atlas variant is the largest 'Mech equipped with a Command Console. To free up the weight required to fit this device, the AS7-D-DC removes one ton of LRM ammunition and the paired rear firing lasers. BV (2.0) = 1,858
• AS7-K: A 3050's Combine upgrade of the Atlas that used rediscovered Star League technology, the K model was built with a Vlar 300 XL Engine. Carrying a Shigunga LRM-20 with two tons of ammo in the left torso the 'Mech was rearmed for long range combat with an Imperator Dragon's Fire Gauss Rifle in place of the autocannon, with two tons of gauss rounds carried in the right arm, backed up by a pair of Victory Nickel Alloy ER Large Lasers split between both arms. This armament allowed the AS7-K to keep an enemy at range, though the continued use of twenty single heat sinks caused swift heat buildup if both lasers are fired repeatedly. For close range defense, the K model carried two Victory Heartbeat Medium Pulse Lasers in the rear torso and a Yori Flyswatter Anti-Missile System in the left arm with one ton of reloads in the left torso. To round off the AS7-K's defense, CASE was added to the side torsos to protect against an ammunition explosion. BV (1.0) = 1,649, BV (2.0) = 2,175 intervals
• AS7-K2: A post-Jihad Lyran Commonwealth take on the Combine's AS7-K introduced in 3082, the K2 model of the Atlas also used a Vlar XL Engine but increased its rating to 400, giving the K2 model a top speed of 64.8 km/h. Retaining only the Gauss Rifle and ER Large Lasers of the AS7-K, the K2 carried two Guided Technologies 2nd Gen Streak SRM-6 launchers. The K2 was protected with sixteen and a half tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor and, to protect against advanced enemy electronics, a Guardian ECM Suite. BV (1.0) = 1,751, BV (2.0) = 2,160
• AS7-K3: A modification of the K2 built in 3083, the K3 removed the two Streak SRM-6 launchers and replaced them with three jump jets and a Streak SRM-4 launcher, giving the AS7-K3 incredible maneuverability. BV (1.0) = 1,952, BV (2.0) = 2,346
• AS7-K4: This Dark Age Atlas is equipped with an ER PPC in each arm, an SRM-6 in the side torsos, and a Rotary AC/5 in the left torso. A Guardian ECM Suite is carried in the center torso. The two tons of SRM ammunition and three tons of RAC/5 ammunition are carried in a CASE protected bay in the right torso. The Atlas K4 is equipped with an XL engine to allow it to hit a top speed of 64km/h. BV (2.0) = 2,153
• AS7-RS: A Succession Wars era take on the Atlas II's weapon loadout built in 2892, the AS7-RS replaces the stock AS7-D's larger autocannon and missile launchers with an Autocannon/10, LRM-15, and SRM-4. The D's four medium lasers are traded for a Large Laser mounted in each arm. The swap leaves the armor levels, heat sinks and ammunition bays unchanged. BV (2.0) = 1,849
• AS7-S: A FedCom upgrade of the standard Atlas introduced in 3050, the S model removed five heat sinks from the design, upgrading the rest to Double Heat Sinks. The weight savings are used to add two rear firing Coventry T4H Streak SRM-2 launchers, giving the Atlas increased protection in its rear arc of fire. After the civil war production of this model ceased, although garrison forces in both sundered states continued to use them, with AFFS units using Precision Ammunition for the autocannon and LAAF units making use of specialized LRM munitions captured from the Free Worlds League. BV (1.0) = 1,688, BV (2.0) = 1,929
• AS7-S2: The S2 Atlas was a major upgrade of the design by the Lyran Alliance coming out of the Hesperus II facility in 3061. The 'Mech was built with a Light Fusion Engine and carried an Artemis IV Fire Control System enhanced LRM-15 launcher and two ER large lasers as its primary long range weapons. For close combat, the 'Mech was armed with a Heavy Gauss Rifle. The S2 mounted a Guardian ECM Suite in place of the AMS to protect against enemy electronic warfare equipment. BV (1.0) = 2,147 (2,075), BV (2.0) = 2,389
• AS7-S3: A rearmament of the S2 version introduced in 3062. The Heavy Gauss Rifle is reduced to a standard model Gauss Rifle with sixteen shots while each arm contains a PPC and a Small Laser. An additional small laser is mounted in the head. For extra defense, an AMS is installed on the left arm. The Artemis IV-enhanced LRM-15 and Guardian ECM Suite of the S2 model remain. BV (2.0) = 2,378
• AS8-D: A prototype in 3074 and entering limited production after the Jihad, this new version sports a Light PPC in each arm. A pair of MML-9s give the design a good punch at both long and short range while a Rotary AC/5, one Snub-Nose PPC, two ER Small Lasers and two Small Lasers round up the configuration's closer range damage. The AS8-D mounts fourteen double heat sinks to balance the heat load generated by the weapons, but the design also incorporated Triple-Strength Myomer so that when the AS8-D is running hot it can reach speeds of almost sixty-five kph. BV (1.0) = ?, BV (2.0) = 2,059

Gallery

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  So much cooler than you.

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  When it comes to the tabletop, you had best learn to fear this model.